In Memory of Sweet Dicken

It is with profound sadness that I report to you that the dear kitten Dicken with the crippled back legs died in the wee hours of Saturday morning. S and I drove in the cold pouring rain to be with him for his final moments when we were notified that his struggle to breathe had become too great.

He was examined by two wonderful orthopedic vets at the University of MN vet school on Wednesday and he returned on Thursday for a procedure to splint his legs in an attempt to gradually improve their functionality. We anticipated months of splint changes and physical therapy, but we did not expect the respiratory problems that developed.

He came home on Thursday evening with a little rattle in his chest. He was quiet, but that seemed normal. However, on Friday morning it was clear that he needed supportive care. All day and night in the ER and ICU he received oxygen, fluids, and antibiotics, but he continued to get worse.

All who cared for him were shocked and devastated. He will always be remembered and missed. We like to think he is running freely for the first time now.

Feline Rescue's mission is to help stray, abandoned and abused cats. We believe that Dicken's disability was a birth defect. He was abandoned at our shelter along with his mother (Madison) and sister (Dolly) probably by people hoping for a better life for them which is exactly what we wanted to give them.

The special care of a cat like Dicken is very expensive and since Feline Rescue is funded entirely with donations, I hope you will consider making a special donation in memory of Dicken to help the next cat with special needs. That can be his legacy.